Setting Up A Site
Dreamweaver makes it easy to build a Web site on your local
computer and then transfer it to a Web server. Before you start creating pages
you should establish a home for your site so the program will keep track of
your files as you add more pages, graphics, and other elements.
Designate a Local Root Folder:
First you will open the program and designate a Local Root folder, which
will correspond to the root directory on the Web server. Your local site
will become a "mirror" for the site that is actually online.
- When the Site Information dialog box opens, type in a name for a site name.
- Click on the Browse button (the one that looks like a folder) to designate
a folder on your hard drive to be the Local Root folder for this site. This
is the folder where you will store files for this site.
- The remaining options in the dialog box are to establish the connection
between your local site and a remote server as shown below. You have not yet
established a remote server. So for the time being, leave these options empty.
You will go back and fill them in later. To enter information at a later time,
simply click Site>Site Files, then click Site>Define Site:
- Click the Edit button to add your other remote information. The other information
you fill on Local Info is the HTTP address which is provided by your service
provider. Below is my local info for my website.
- Next Click Remote Info in the left column and select the information that
is provided by your provider. My information is shown below:
- Click OK. What you see now is a directory of the site. You will return to
this view when you explain how to upload your files to a remote server, but
for now close the window to return to the Dreamweaver workspace and begin
to build your first page.
- When you click OK, your site will be created and the Site Window will open.
You can think of this as a control panel in which you can survey the entire
web site. You can close it at any time if you want to work only on an individual
file.
The two icons in the upper left allow you to switch views from
site files to site map. The graphic in the left cell of the table is the site
file view and the graphic in the right cell is the site map view:
The first button list all the html pages and graphics associated
with your site. Clicking the second button, the site map, shows the relationship
of the pages of your site.
